London dentists beat infection with root canal treatments
Root canal treatments are necessary when tooth decay has killed or is likely to kill a tooth. The procedure involves removing the pulp from the centre of a tooth. This prevents painful infections from happening in the tooth which could also spread to other teeth. Root canals are also effective for treating infections that have developed into abscesses.
Root canal treatments have a reputation as being one of the nastiest and most painful procedures you can have performed at the dentist, but this is not necessarily the case. Often a root canal is little more than a filling and the pain is minimal. The dentist will do all they can to make the procedure as painless as possible.
Before the procedure the dentist will numb the gums with a jelly like substance. They will then further numb the gums, teeth and tongue using a local anaesthetic. The decaying pulp will then be removed, often using a drill. This is the aspect of the process that causes nightmares but it is really a relatively simple procedure. Once a cavity is created in the pulp of the tooth it is filled with medicine and filling material and finally a root canal filling. A permanent filling or crown may be needed to keep the root canal filling in place permanently. Patients may experience numbness or pain for one or two days after the root canal but this can be treated with a variety of painkillers.
Root canals may have a bad reputation but there are very valuable and necessary parts of dental surgery. Bacteria from infected teeth can enter the bloodstream and cause infections in other parts of the body. If a tooth is infected a root canal will need to be performed as soon as possible to limit the spread of infection. Root canals also eliminate the need to completely remove teeth and as such are also useful cosmetic procedures.
If you are suffering pain in one or more of your teeth, have a tooth abscess or think you may need a root canal treatment, don’t let fear put you off. You need to make an appointment to see a London dentist as soon as possible to prevent the spread of infection and save your tooth.
